Daniil Medvedev Denies Obscene Gesture to Crowd After Paris Masters Defeat
Daniil Medvedev rejects accusations of making an offensive gesture to the crowd after facing boos during his loss at the Paris Masters. The World No. 3 clarifies the incident.
Daniil Medvedev Denies Making Obscene Gesture to Crowd After Loss at Paris Masters World No. 3 tennis player, Daniil Medvedev, has denied allegations of making an offensive gesture toward the Parisian crowd after receiving boos from local fans during his defeat to Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov at the Paris Masters.
Medvedev, who was defeated 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2) in the round of 32 on Wednesday, faced the disapproval of the crowd during the second set due to his racket-throwing antics. He even temporarily halted play until the boos subsided, which resulted in a code violation for delaying the match.
Regarding the gesture he made as he exited the court, the former world number one clarified, “No, I didn’t [make an obscene gesture to the crowd]. I simply checked my nails, like this. It’s nothing more than that. Why would I do that to this wonderful Paris-Bercy crowd?” The 27-year-old’s statement was reported by The Telegraph.
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Medvedev further elaborated, saying, “I was like, ‘I won’t play until they stop booing.’ But the Bercy crowd didn’t cease to boo. Then, when I received a code violation, I thought, ‘Do I really want to get disqualified and end the match on this note?’ No. So, I resumed playing.”
The Russian player also shared his perspective on the crowd, saying, “I have many French friends, and they don’t seem to have a high regard for this tournament. Maybe there’s a reason. I played much better here without the crowd.”
Dimitrov, who had previously led by a set before losing to Medvedev in their second-round clash in Vienna just six days ago, redeemed himself this time by delivering 48 winners to Medvedev’s 22, securing his first victory against the World No. 3 since 2021.